The college basketball world centers around Allen Fieldhouse today when the Kansas Jayhawks play the BYU Cougars. 

The game features the top two NBA prospects in KU's Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa of BYU. During an appearance on ESPN College Gameday, insider Pete Thamel broke down how NBA interest this game is garnering. 

"Specifically, the eyes of the NBA lottery are going to be on Lawrence, Kansas today," Thamel said. "The Indiana Pacers are bringing six front-office members and the Atlanta Hawks are bringing five, including owner Tony Ressler. They're going to answer the question that's going to echo all through June: Who's No. 1?" 

Most experts project Peterson and Dybansta as the No. 1 and No. 2 pick. The order remains a mystery. 

"We polled 20 scouts and executives this week to find the answer," Thamel said. "The crowd in Lawrence will be pleased with the results: Darryn Peterson got 12 votes, AJ Dybantsa got 8."

During their interviews, ESPN found NBA personnel have two comparisons for Peterson. 

"Scouts cast Peterson to me as perhaps the best shooting guard prospect that's come through college basketball in the last 20 years," Thamel said. "One scout compared his shot-making to Kobe Bryant, not his athleticism. Another popular comp was [Phoenix Suns guard] Devin Booker."

Health has been the only knock on Peterson during his freshman season. He's dealt with a variety of injuries, ranging from ankle to hamstring. 

"NBA scouts do want to see him get healthy," Thamel said. "He's missed 10 games this season. He's coming off an ankle (injury). We'll see what he looks like today." 

Here's the game preview: 

Here's the game preview: 

Time: Saturday, Jan. 31 Tipoff at 3:30 p.m. CST

Where: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas

TV/Streaming: ESPN

Betting Line: Kansas - 3.5 (FanDuel)

Vitals: No. 14 Kansas will host No. 13 BYU on Saturday in a marquee Big 12 showdown at Allen Fieldhouse, with tip set for 3:30 p.m. Central on ESPN.

The day will begin with ESPN College GameDay airing from 10 to 11 a.m., adding to what is expected to be one of the loudest environments of the season. Saturday’s matchup also marks the 1,000th men’s basketball game played at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas owns an 877-122 all-time record and is 340-22 under coach Bill Self.

Freshman guard Darryn Peterson is expected to return from a sprained ankle and leads the Jayhawks at 21.6 points per contest and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week last week. Sophomore center Flory Bidunga has been equally impactful, averaging 14.4 points and 9 rebounds while ranking among the national leaders in blocked shots and field-goal percentage, and was recently named to the defensive player of the year watch list. 

Kansas will quickly turn its attention to a demanding stretch after Saturday, opening a run of ranked opponents with a Feb. 1 trip to Texas Tech in its first of three ESPN Big Monday appearances.

Quote: Head Coach Bill Self On guarding BYU’s top players:

Q: How much do you have to focus on multiple scorers and not just one?

A: “In league play they are averaging 24, 19 and 18, so you cannot put all your attention on one guy. We have to guard their team. The emphasis cannot be stopping one guy. We have to slow BYU as a group and keep them out of rhythm.”

Projected Starting Fives: 

Kansas:

Darryn Peterson

Flory Bidunga

Bryson Tiller

Melvin Council Jr.

Tre White

BYU: 

Robert Wright

Richie Saunders

Kennard Davis

Keba Keita

A.J. Dybantsa

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Jayhawks Roundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com